Big EarBig Ear supplies custom earplugs according to the needs of an individual customer. We provide on-site custom hearing protection services.
Big Ear (bigearinc.com) has 75 customer reviews on Five Star Index, with an average rating of 3.7 out of 5.
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Showing 23 reviews with 1 star · Clear filters
Dana C.
Really horrible app that locked up my phone and I had to actually shut down my phone to get this stupid app off my screen! Would not respond
Response from Big EarFeb 24, 2026
I do believe that you have posted this review to the wrong company as we sell custom hearing protection and have never created an app or any technology that installs on smart devices.
Scott O.
I ordered a set of adapters from Big Ear for my Jabra65 earbuds, in an effort to support a more local business. Their rep made the moulds at my dealer and shipped them off. I immediately received an email with the invoice, indicating a 4-6 week turnaround time. At the 6wk mark, I contacted the rep. "Oh, it will be 8 weeks. Really? That's not what you told me or what the invoice indicated. No answer from him. At the 8 week point, I contacted him again. Nothing heard. 9 weeks and the envelope shows up. Inside, 2 of these "supposed" adapters. What in the actual......? Inserted the adapters into my ear canals. One somewhat fits, the other not at all. I mounted the earbuds into them. One would not stay in place and kept falling out. The other just hung there. BLUF: I paid $196 for THIS GARBAGE??? Big Ears are nothing short of a crap product. Obviously cheaply made and non-conforming to my ear canals. I had them less than 24hrs before sending them back to this clownshow of a company, 2 months ago with an enclosed note. Didn't ask for a refund. After all, I contracted them to make adapters and they sent me what I supposedly paid for. Have I heard a single word back from them? Nope. No surprise. They are after all, a goatrope of a company. I recommend anyone looking for earbuds, avoid these buffoons like the plague. I've gone back to Audina Hearing Instruments, who, in 10+ years...has never let me down. Lesson learned...it's not always the smart to support the local rep/vendor. Today...7 Aug, (3 months after the above review) I received a reply from BigEar. To Quote: "I do believe we delivered a very high quality product and I am proud and stand behind what we do." Since this clowns success/cutstomer satisfaction bar equates to one adapter that somewhat fits an ear, the other not at all, and earbuds that fall out or won't stay in place; it's no wonder he's impressed with his own product and stands behind it. You're welcome for the feedback :)
Response from Big EarAug 7, 2024
While I do not agree with your assessment of our business, I do believe we delivered a very high quality product and I am proud and stand behind what we do. Too bad that it did not work out for you this time around, I aim to learn from this interaction and improve myself and my business. Thank you so much Scott for your feed back :)
John
I was in the market for a new custom earpiece for two-way radios at work as I work in law enforcement. I came across Big Ear on my journey after a few failed attempts to get the proper kind of ear piece for concerts & larger scale events where hearing with my current ear piece was becoming a problem & uncomfortable. September of 2023, I decided to spend the money to get a new custom mold, filled out an order form & submitted excited to see the final result of my ear piece. I then waited as production for custom pieces take some time & finally received an email on November 9th, 2023 in regards to my order & that my brand new earpiece had finally shipped. The wait was on & I was ready to receive my earpiece for upcoming concerts/events...I meticulously checked shipping updates every few days to find my order was stuck in customs in New York, okay, perfectly fine. The wait didn't stop. A few weeks passed & not a single update, no shipping updates, nothing. After a few weeks, I then received an update in regards to my order. It had been sent back to the production office, for some unknown reason, & they were waiting for a response from the shipping company. I also took this time to ensure that the shipping address was exact. Then continued to wait, no update, just a consistent back & forth email exchange that has seemingly gone nowhere. Order back ups from November, shipping problems with the shipping company, etc. If you do not have the resources to sustain the volume of orders or are having trouble with shipping product. Change shipping companies (there are MANY options), outsource your work to other parties that can get them done in a timely manner & have the resources at hand in backup situations. Do not attend trade shows & events, promising a product & then failing to deliver, or at most delivering a sub-par product as other reviews have stated here with the money that be being charged for the products. If you want a loyal base of customers, deliver a high quality & consistent product.
Response from Big EarAug 7, 2024
John while I do not agree with your assessment of our company I do understand that we all have areas in life to improve. I aim to do so in my business and I value your feedback.
Stephen
Buyer Beware!! Avoid this company at all costs. I heard about their product that uses a custom ear mold that attaches to the Aviation Bose Proflight 2 Headsets. I placed the order in Feb. 2023. I received the ear mold kit and sent it to them in March. I received confirmation that they received the molds on March 9th. I was told it would be up to a month (business days) to receive the ear molds for my headsets. After several back and communications I was told they would be shipped April 28th. That date came and past. I heard nothing. When I reached out again I was told he was gonna ship them directly.(I am not sure what that meant) However, it was May 9th when I received the molds. One attached to the headsets. the other did not. The silicone mold was flawed and wouldn't attach. I sent him pictures and after several more communications I was told on May 15th. that they would rebuild them. He also said that since they are only being rebuilt it would only take 2 weeks. It is now July 26th and I still have no replacement. I was using the one side and after a month the silicone section that attached to the headset failed and will not stay on. Essentially I have noting to show for the over 200 dollars spent. I have gotten sporadic responses to my inquires. I have been told that they are going to fulfill the order. I have no idea what to expect considering most of what I am told are lies to just by time. It's basically a fly by night company that has the appearance of a reputable one. That being said, the product in its current state is garbage. They way they attach to the headset is flawed and in my opinion can't last. I have been told I have no refund option. I understand that is the contract as it reads. However, I believe that is only if they are doing business in good faith. That is not what is happening here. I have not heard back and do not know when I will receive anything. It has been 5 months and I have nothing to show for it. I assured him that I will do what I need to do on my end and he can do what he needs to do. Spreading the word about this company is just the beginning for me. I will not stop until I am made whole in this transaction. So please save yourself. There are others out there for this kind of product. Update 08/10/2023 Stone, Thank you for taking the time to comment on the individual issues pertaining to my complaint. I do appreciate that. I do hope whatever modifications made to the new earpieces fix any previous issues. I will be the first to put it out there. That being said, I have received an email confirming the receipt and future fulfillment of replacing the old earpieces. However, I have not received shipping or any other information detailing a timeline for me to receive the replacements. I will be sure to update that when I do. Again, Thank you for your reply. I do hope this is helpful for those looking this product. Steve
Response from Big EarAug 9, 2023
I will answer each of Stephen's questions in line here below for complete clarity. Buyer Beware!! BE: The buyer should always beware. Big Ear is over 20 years old and is now trying our hand at online ordering, and it has many challenges as we learn and grow. S: Avoid this company ... BE: Steven did place an order for him and his friend Carl. We make custom in-ear adapters for many different products, and Stephens was for a set of Bose Pilot headsets. When an order is created, this is where the process begins. We have to obtain a set of impressions of a person's ears. We have over 200,000 impressions here at our office, so if we haven't met you at an event, we need a set of impressions. It is straightforward but does take time to ship, make, ship back, and process. When we receive them, it normally takes 30 business give or take, because it is based on how many are in the Q ahead of the new order. Each one is handcrafted, and the process is immense for such a small product. S: I received confirmation... BE: It did take longer than we all wanted, and we were sorry about that, it is the nature of this business. Kind of like a farmer, it is a long process from seed to harvest; no matter what you do, it is hard to speed it up. S:One attached to the headsets.... BE: Because of the attachment issue required to attach this unit, we found that some people have very small ear bowls. We need to find a solution for the attachment issue over time that sometimes had an issue. On the set that Stephen bought for Carl, they fit perfectly but they were having an issue that they were coming off the headset too easily. We needed to redesign the attachment for this Bose unit. S: Essentially.. BE: We received Carls and Stephens's returned adapters and can see that all the improvements that we have made will really work well for them. They are now complete and shipping back to them. I do understand how frustrating this can be, but it is an earpiece, not a life hanging in the balance. People put incredible expectations on things, and after 20 years in business, we have seen a lot. There is no magic wand, we have to work through issues one at a time and find a solution that works. We now have this solution and have fixed it, but not without issues and forced patients for this process. S: It's basically..... BE: Obviously, this is frustration talking, and we understand this. It is the business that we are in. We build an inner body product one-off for each person's shapes and challenges o each ear, and sometimes it takes a bit to get it right. The reason for no refund is it is custom-made for one human, we have many shipping charges and labor that goes into each piece, and we won't quit until it is right. It is not a product that can be returned and put back on the shelf or resold, and this is why we have to resolve each issue. S: I understand ... BE: We have been in contact with Stephen and now that we have the update done, we have rebuilt his unit and it is shipping back to him. Because o customers like Stephen, we continue to always provide the very best product money can buy, and anytime we can improve it, we do. It just takes time and effort to accomplish this. We have a chat that is monitored 24 hours a day, and our cell phones are on the website for the best customer service we can provide. S: I assured him ... BE: Again, we are sorry to Carl and Stephen for the long time to get a simple adapter, but we want to thank them for their persistence as this always makes it better for everyone in the long run. Do your research and try and contact other companies as Stephen has suggested, and if we are a fit for you we would like to provide a solution for you. [email protected] is my personal email or hit me on the chat. Stone
Martin L.
I purchased a set of the single transducer molded headphones in June of 2021 and I didn’t receive them until November of 2021. Aside from the horrible communication and back and forth emails promising the headphones were coming soon, these are the most uncomfortable headphones I have ever had. The material is a hard acrylic like material. Most fitted headphones or earplugs are made out of silicone material which is soft and squishy. These are hard and don’t flex at all. After about an hour of riding, my ears are killing me. In addition there provide virtually no ear protection even though they claim 32db reduction. I can still hear all the engine and wind noise I hear without them on. Foam earplugs block out much more noise. I gave up and just chalked it up to a poor investment on my part. But I would never buy from this company every again. Not only is the product way over priced, It’s a poorly made product. There are several other companies online that offer a similar product at a much lower price point. You can ever go to a local audiologist in your area who can make you a much better pair locally for a fraction of the price.
Response from Big EarAug 9, 2023
BE: I will answer inline for ease of following the answer. M: I purchased a set of the single transducer molded headphones in June of 2021 and I didn’t receive them until November of 2021. BE: Martin, I pulled your order, and you ordered them on June 22 at 14:49pst. We sent out a kit on June 26 for you to make your impressions. You made them and returned them to us on July 26, a month later. On August 16, you wanted to know where your order was. It normally takes 30 business days to build and ship back. On August 17, after contacting the lab, they notified me that it looked like another 20 business days to go. On September 6th, we sent out an email to all the orders that were in process that the cables to build the units were held up in customs without a delivery date. We did notify you then. On October 11 that they were back in the Q again. On October 26 notified you after many emails and that they are complete and shipping soon. Nov 1 they shipped out to you this is the last email to or from you. M: Aside from the horrible communication and back-and-forth emails promising the headphones were coming soon, these are the most uncomfortable headphones I have ever had. The material is a hard acrylic-like material. Most fitted headphones or earplugs are made out of silicone material which is soft and squishy. These are hard and don’t flex at all. After about an hour of riding, my ears are killing me. BE: This set is made from acrylic, like 90% of all linear monitors. Most linear hearing aids are made from acrylic as well. They are made to the exact shape of your ears that were made exactly from the impression. Most people in the beginning don't have them in all the way and this is the issue most of the time. If your ears are being smashed by your helmet after an hour, then you have to tune your helmet and remove some material so the ear pocket is open, not smashing on your ears. M: In addition there provide virtually no ear protection even though they claim 32db reduction. I can still hear all the engine and wind noise I hear without them on. Foam earplugs block out much more noise. I gave up and just chalked it up to a poor investment on my part. BE: Martin decibels are measured on an algorithmic scale. Every 3dB is double sound pressure. Wind and engine noise is over 105dB+, so yes, for sure, you will still hear everything around you. They are designed to increase the volume to about 70-75dB, which is below the danger level, and you would mask out the wind. It can never be eliminated. A foam earplug if inserted very deep to where you need tweezers to get them out, can reduce approx 36-38dB reduction. You had a 90-day fit warranty and a year warranty all you needed to do was contact us. We are here virtually 24 hours a day. We would have started by you sending pictures of them in your ears to ensure the fit, then would have told you about any adjustments that need to be made. Sometimes depending on the shape of your ears, a helmet sock is required to get them comfortable to slide a helmet on and off. M: But I would never buy from this company every again. Not only is the product way over priced, It’s a poorly made product. BE: You said you have a fit issue, not a price issue. Because of the custom nature of custom products it is very expensive to have it done right. It starts with impressions. It cost between $75.00-$250.00, this is not for the product it is for the impressions to have it made. You never addressed how the unit is poorly made at all just that it made your ears sore after a hour. M: There are several .. BE: There are a few companies that make in ear monitors but 98% are for musicians and as I said you have to start with impressions and when you add this to the cost I believe you are mistaken. I wish you had contacted us sooner. [email protected] Stone
JJ
One of my worst experiences working with a company ever. They don't have the components to make their product due to back order, but don't tell you that up front. So orders are months behind. When mine did finally arrive, the left ear mold was completely wrong - had to redo the mold and entire units all together. They also came with some options wrong (i.e. wire coming out bottom of ear instead of top. Also, frankly, they are not that comfortable either.) Then they took another 5 - 6 weeks to even fix that. Shipped to the wrong address, which meant I had to drive these all the way up to my rep for verification. The list goes on. Long story short, they do not stand behind their products, communication is awful and there is zero guarantee customer satisfaction. Once you hand your money over, it's gone, whether you are satisfied or not. I would avoid this company.
Response from Big EarAug 9, 2023
JJ thank you for expressing your experience and allowing us to understand how we failed to match your expectations. This is Stone, the individual you worked with on the phone to attempt to remedy the issue. I accept fully the responsibility for our product not matching your desired expectations. I do believe we were able to remedy this issue and find the fit and performance you were aiming for. We did speak on the phone for close to one hour where I believe we worked out the issues you were experiencing with the product but if there are any more please call me at my cell 719-271-4528
reichstallaol.com
Bought a set at BMW rally they worked nice I was having an issue the one speaker out of warranty. try on line chat tried calling no one finally got someone send them in i can pay for the repair. low and behold they claim never got them my fault. not insured. tried many times to check if they got there never get anyone to respond. So finally get someone nope lost in the mail. Ok So would I buy from them again no ay and all my bmw friends be aware
Response from Big EarAug 9, 2023
Hey there, thank you so much for letting us know where we need to improve our business practices. Im not sure why your units did not arrive, I do not have your name on here to personally respond but if you're willing you can call me at my cell 719-271-4528 and we can get down to what happened and hopefully get you a great set of headphones.
shirley W.
Company does not stand behind the product. Could not get a rep to even call me until I repeatedly dogged them. Then they said something like, well our owner isn't even here anymore. He moved to another country. What is that? The Mr. Glenn Hood that this company says is the founder, is not even at the company anymore? Buyer beware.
Response from Big EarDec 12, 2022
Shirley, I apologize that you had a poor experience getting ahold of Glenn. This is Stone, Glenn's son. On record, we did fulfill the order and I personally remember interacting with you and helping you find what you needed. Please let me know personally at my cell 719-271-4528 if there were any issues with your order.